By Lisa Cummings
As a law firm who has handled many settlements and trials for injuries caused by automobile accidents, we know that distracted driving has become an epidemic in America and threatens the lives of others on the road. Did you know that drivers are four times as likely to be in a car accident because of cell phone distractions, according to the New York Times?
Teens are always using their cell phones and it seems as if they can’t be separated from it. One report explains how a personal injury attorney started his own organization. The organization is called End Distracted Driving, inspired by his 21-year old daughter who died because she was hit by a distracted driver while crossing the street. He reaches out to teens all over the country at schools to speak about the consequences of distracted driving. He also mentions other distractions such as eating, applying makeup or arguing with a passenger.
Another report, Popular Mechanics states that “when the Erie insurance Group studied 65,000 fatal crashes over a two-year span (2010-11), its researchers found that one in 10 were attributed to driver distraction. 62 percent were blamed on daydreaming, which is five times as many as talking or texting on a mobile phone.” It is essential for our law firm to spread the message about the dangers of distracted driving and the fatal injuries that come along with this epidemic. We are happy to hear that NY Governor Cuomo is designating cell phone “rest stops” on highways.
